


Shadows

by Skywinder



Series: Tales From the Crypt [4]
Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Choking, Gen, Halloween, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mystery Character(s), Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Supernatural Elements, Tales From the DeceptiCrypt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-01 06:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16279538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder
Summary: "They are a mystery. And I am both terrified and reassured to know there are still wonders in the universe, that we have not yet explained everything. Whatever they are...They must walk there alone."-  G'Kar,Babylon 5 - Mind War(s1 ep06)Mirage pays a visit to the Decepticon Crypt...And learns that there are some things which are best left buried.Fic for grayseeker's Decepticrypt challenge.





	Shadows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [grayseeker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/grayseeker/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Discovery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409917) by [Skywinder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skywinder/pseuds/Skywinder). 



> Decided to add a little postscript of sorts to [Discovery](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15409917/chapters/35764548), based on the mention Starscream made in chapter 2 to Mirage concerning what Skyfire's memorial looked like.
> 
> As before, I borrowed the idea of Dirge as a Tombkeeper from grayseeker.
> 
> Octane's reference to Skyblaze during the memory sequence concerns the visit made to the crypt in [Nameless](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5084488). But that one doesn't need to be read to understand this one. Am also not linking it to Skyblaze Chronicles series as this story doesn't involve said OC.

* * *

_From ghoulies and ghosties_  
_And long-leggedy beasties_  
_And things that go bump in the night,_  
_Good Lord, deliver us!_  
Traditional Scots Prayer

" _They are a mystery. And I am both terrified and reassured to know there are still wonders in the universe, that we have not yet explained everything. Whatever they are...They must walk there alone._ " G'Kar, _Babylon 5 - Mind War (s1 ep06)_

* * *

 _So this is the Decepticon Crypt_ , thought Mirage as he stood in a doorway leading from a tunnel into a larger room, his gaze circling the perimeter.  _Not what I expected, I must say._

Far from resembling the interior of the long-destroyed Autobot floating crypt, there was not a single sight of a frame laid out on a slab in a pose of respect.  Rather, there was a large torch in the center of the room, still glowing brightly, which immediately caught one's attention as they approached the doorway.  Around the perimeter of the room stood pedestals containing effigy statues of Decepticons, most of whom Mirage recognized.  Directly across from him was another room, which seemed to be darker than the main room, but from what little the former spy could see, those also seemed to contain effigy statues.

There was a heavy layer of dust on the floor, but Mirage could also see some hollow marks on the ground which looked like they contained less dust than the majority of the room.  They looked like they might have been footprints from what little Mirage could make out.

Still, the amount of dust that filled them, along with no other footprints besides those, suggested to the Autobot that not only had whoever visited not been there in some time, there hadn't been any other visitors present aside from himself since then.

In fact, if it weren't for the lit torch, Mirage would have been fully prepared to declare this place completely abandoned. Given the figures of the effigies he could see, namely Megatron's and Thundercracker's, it seemed very likely it had been.  Probably since the time the Decepticons were pushed off of Cybertron following the failed attack by Unicron.  With no one to tend the tomb, it made sense if it became more or less forgotten.

Perhaps that was for the best in some ways, though, Mirage mused as he stepped into the room, keeping his senses alert for any danger.  Given that many former Decepticons had been known to make disparaging comments on how at least they'd had a leader who'd been able to _lead_ , not just order them into suicide situations.  Among them, Megatron was a saint compared to Galvatron.

 _Which isn't saying much_ , he thought, _considering that Megatron was as obsessed with destroying everyone against him as Galvatron was._

Something about that thought caused Mirage to cast a quick glance towards the statue of Megatron, suddenly not so certain he should have come here after all.  It had seemed like such a simple matter when he'd made that request of Octane a few of their hours before...

* * *

_"You want to what?!"_

_Octane stared at the mech in front of him in disbelief._

_"You heard me, Octane.  I'm sure I don't need to repeat myself," Mirage said grimly._

_Octane just leaned heavily back in his seat, his optics flickering.  "Yeah, I heard you," he muttered, every bit as grimly.  "I was just hoping I'd heard you wrong."_

_Mirage smirked.  "You heard me correctly, I assure you.  So, tell me, Octane.  Where is this crypt the Decepticons used to memorialize their dead?"_

_The Triplechanger gave the former Autobot spy a petulant look.  "Go ask Dirge.  He was the Cryptkeeper and he won't have any problems showing you the location of the place."_

_"Dirge is in the temple at Perihex, training up the next generation of priests," Mirage replied easily.  He raised a browridge.  "You know, you're giving me a more difficult time than is necessary when it comes to telling me the whereabouts of the Decepticon memorial, Octane.  It's not like I'm planning on destroying the place.  As much as I had no great liking for Decepticons, even I wouldn't destroy their burial ground."_

_Octane suddenly looked very uneasy.  "It ain't that, Mirage.  It's just..."  The mech let out a heavy intake and looked down into his lap for a brief moment.  When he turned his gaze back up towards the noble, Mirage thought he saw a slight trace of fear in the other mech's optics.  "Let's just say I've always had a knack for feeling weird stuff, Mirage.  And I've had that feeling the couple times I've visited the crypt since the war.  That place is better off left alone.  No one really goes there anymore anyway, from what I've been told.  Too many weird things have been reported there."_

_Mirage felt like chuckling in spite of himself.  "'Weird things'?  I assume you mean like ghosts?  Really, Octane, that is ridiculous even for you."_

_Octane looked away and muttered something almost too low to hear, but Mirage thought it sounded like, "Tell that to Skyblaze."_

_Before Mirage could question the other mech about his statement, Octane had turned his attention back towards the Ligier.  "Fine.  If you're so determined to do this, I'll tell you where it is.  It's just outside the ruins of the old Kaon Temple.  There's a large opening that leads into a tunnel, with a series of large rooms at the end of it.  Starscream's already told you what the marker looks like, so you don't need me to tell you that part._

_"But seriously, Mirage," Octane concluded,  "I wouldn't stay  for too long there.  Some things are best left alone."_

* * *

_Perhaps Octane was correct_ , Mirage mused as his optics locked straight onto those of the statue of the long-dead Decepticon leader.  The gaze seemed even more cold and menacing in death than it had in life somehow.  Almost as though the figure was watching him, judging him, even though Megatron had been dead for over three hundred of their years.

Mirage shook his head quickly, trying to settle his mind.  No, that was foolish to think.  There were no such things as ghosts.

Even so, he couldn't help but admit he'd never quite felt this unsettled when visiting other crypts before to pay his respects.

Stepping into the room, he wondered why that was.  Perhaps because this was where the remains of a friend lay among former enemies?  Or perhaps because he was a former enemy stepping into what was once a Decepticon sacred place?

Either way, Mirage couldn't escape the feeling he was being watched as he made his way around the room searching for the blank marker Starscream had described to him.

Trying as best he could to ignore that feeling, Mirage began making his way around the edge of the room.

_"You shouldn't be here."_

Mirage felt himself jolt, then freeze in place.  _What in Primus' name?!_

He cast a glance around the room and upon seeing no one, began an infrared scan, in case someone was hiding in the shadows.

The results came back negative.

A cold feeling crawled up Mirage's backstrut.

Once more Octane's warning came to mind, but this time Mirage had the feeling it would be wiser to not just dismiss it. 

 _Best to just confirm what Starscream told me and be gone_ , he decided.

With that in mind, he darted his optics around the room, and noticed a pedestal with what seemed to be partial Seeker legs on it about two pedestals away from Megatron's own.

_That must be it._

Mirage began to move towards the incomplete effigy...

Only to be stopped by the feeling of a hand clamping around his throat.

_What the frag?!_

Instinctively, and with a growing sense of panic, Mirage reached up to try to pry the hand away from his throat, even as a calmer, yet no less fearful part of his mind was telling him nothing was actually _there_.

A low dark chuckle filled his audials as the grip tightened, wires and cables slowly becoming constricted underneath an invisible, heavy hand.

Forcing words out from a vocalizer that was beginning to short out from the pressure, Mirage said, "Who..are...you?  Why...?"

The only answer he received was another cruel sounding chuckle, this one with a tinge of amusement in it.  The grip tightened further, and warnings appeared on Mirage's HUD display, warning him of imminent systems shutdown.

Terror filled Mirage as he saw that, knowing that even while strangulation couldn't actually kill a Cybertronian, the moment he blacked out, whatever was doing this to him would be able to do whatever else they wanted. 

And he was here, alone.  He'd told no one aside from Octane he was coming here, and Octane couldn't have known he'd be leaving straight from Crystal City after getting that information from him.

In spite of the fear he held, Mirage began to struggle in an attempt to try and break free.

All it did was increase the severity of the warnings.  Mirage knew he didn't have much time.

 _Primus, help me!_ he sent out one desperate prayer, even knowing it was more than likely his god wasn't listening.

 _:Warning:  Shutdown Imminent:_ flashed across his HUD screen, and Mirage's optics began to flicker.

_No..._

Suddenly, he felt a large force slam into him, blowing both he and his unknown assailant into the wall, right between the statues of Megatron and Skywarp, the impact forcing the grip to disappear from Mirage's neck.

Mirage didn't note that at first, feeling more than just a little disoriented from the blow he'd just received from hitting the wall.  He shook his head.  _What just happened?_ he thought, as the warning messages began to fade.

_"Go."_

It was the same voice from earlier, a part of Mirage noted in the back of his mind.  And what they were saying sounded like a very good idea, he had to admit.

Trying to regain his bearings before he left, he cast his gaze around the room.

As his line of sight reached Thundercracker's statue across from him, he felt himself freeze again at the sight that met his optics.

There, on the wall, were two shadows besides his own cast by the light of the torch.  Shadows Mirage _knew_ he hadn't seen when he came in, and _shouldn't_ be there now.

He stared transfixed at these two images, which were apparently grappling with each other, the slightly larger shadow (a winged mech, it appeared) trying to hold off another bulky frame.  The winged shadow was partially in front of the other form, so Mirage couldn't make out the details as well as he would like, but he thought one arm seemed somewhat larger than the other on that second mech.

_What is going on here?_

_"GO!"_    This time the voice was practically a roar.

The head of the flier shadow shifted in his direction.  _"GO, Mirage!  I can't hold him back forever!"_

Startled finally into moving, and not wishing to repeat that encounter with that mysterious entity, Mirage nodded and transformed, no longer concerned with maintaining respect in a burial place.  He raced out of that crypt as fast as he could in his hover car mode, and never stopped moving until he hit Crystal City once more.

* * *

 "And what happened after that?"

Mirage stared at the mech on the other side of the vid-screen.  "After I arrived in Crystal City, I went straight to my personal medic and had my throat checked out.  Some minor repairs were needed, and please don't ask me how I explained those injuries away, Octane."

Octane smiled mirthlessly.  "Wasn't planning on it, Mirage."  He leaned back in his seat.  "I did tell ya so, ya know."

Mirage grimaced, but couldn't deny the truth of that statement.  "You did, and I thank you for not lording the fact over me."

Octane snorted.  "Just remember this the next time you want to ignore a warning from anyone, Autobot."

It was with great effort that Mirage refrained from reaching his hand up towards his throat.  "I think I can manage that," he agreed.

"In any case," he continued, "I don't suppose you have any idea who those shadows I described belonged to?"

Octane frowned in thought.  "I'd say the winged shadow you described was probably Skyfire.  He's been seen there before.  Not by me, though.  Long story.  But as for the second...," the frown deepened, "I honestly don't know, Mirage.  That shadow sure didn't show up the last time I visited that crypt ten vorns ago.  In all honesty, I'd probably have been as panicked as you if I'd seen or experienced that thing."

Mirage nodded slowly.  Given the fact that the voice had used his designation, not to mention the size and shape of the "speaker", it was more than likely that Octane was correct concerning the one.  Still, that did leave some questions unanswered.  Such as who it was that tried to kill him, not to mention...

"How would they have come to be there?" he asked aloud.

Octane shook his head.  "Your guess is as good as any of mine, Mirage.  I know the humans used to have legends about ghosts; that they were souls who died violently, who didn't know they were dead, who had unfinished business.  Take your pick.  It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some of those same rules applied to Cybertronians, weird as it sounds."

Mirage shook his own head.  "Unbelievable indeed, and yet..."

"Yeah," Octane agreed.  "Anyway, I take it you found out what you wanted to know?"

"I did, and I don't think I will be returning there again.  I have no desire for a repeat encounter."

"Can't say I blame ya."  Octane chuckled.  "Anyway, Starscream was pretty happy to receive that copy of  the holo-image of Skyfire you brought.  I haven't seen him smile like that in a long time."

Grateful for the change in subject, Mirage smiled.  "I'm glad to hear it.  And before I forget, safe travels to you and your small crew, Octane."

"Will do, Mirage.  See ya later.  Octane out."

Mirage nodded and bowed his head as the screen went dark.

For a few kliks he stood there quietly, then flicked his gaze to the streets outside his apartment. 

Indeed, he'd found out what he needed to know.  More than that, in fact.

There were many questions still remaining, but Mirage had no intention of going back to find out the answers.  No matter how much he wanted to find out what they were, the price of learning them was far and away too high.

And it would certainly be poor repayment to an old friend who had apparently been there for him and gave him his chance to escape.

No, he would keep this secret as he had so many others.

But he would never forget the lesson he had learned.

He turned away from the window.

_Rest in peace, Skyfire.  
_

**Author's Note:**

> No, I chose not to identify the second shadow Mirage saw, but I think it's pretty easy to guess if one thinks about his path through that room. And the moment it chose to strike.
> 
> Happy Halloween, everybody!


End file.
